Zverev Sets Sights On Victory, Reaches French Open Semi-Finals

Alexander Zverev, currently ranked fourth in the world, is determined to push his limits at the French Open. The German tennis star defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier, advancing to the Roland-Garros semi-finals for the fourth consecutive year. Despite the straightforward scoreline, Zverev's 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory over the Australian world number 11 was hard-fought.

In the second-set tie-break, Zverev found himself trailing 4-0 and 5-1, seemingly giving De Minaur a chance to stage a comeback. However, Zverev responded strongly, eventually securing the win in just under three hours. He now prepares for a semi-final clash with Casper Ruud.

"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery, and the answer is very simple—you don't recover after matches; you recover in the off-season," Zverev said during his on-court interview. "I have the mindset that you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that, then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult."

Zverev's fourth semi-final appearance in Paris ties him with Dominic Thiem for the most semi-final appearances by any player born since 1990. Additionally, among players with five main draws in the Open Era, Zverev boasts an impressive 80.5% winning percentage at Roland-Garros—the highest of any player who has not yet won the singles title at this event.

Ruud will be Zverev's opponent in the semi-finals, and Zverev attributes his tenacious playing style to his upbringing. "I have a coach who's my father who couldn't care less how I feel on the practice court," he added. "Since I was three years old, it was run here, run there, run for four hours straight. He sometimes forgets I'm two metres tall and can hit a serve 230 kilometres an hour."

Zverev acknowledged that he sometimes wishes he could play more aggressively but remains content as long as he continues to win. His determination and rigorous training regimen have clearly paid off as he aims for his first major final at Roland-Garros.

RG semi-final bound #RolandGarros